Appetite for S.U.V.s Offers Upside in Slower Month for Auto Sales

DETROIT — Sales of new vehicles dropped in the United States in January from a year ago, partly because of the snowstorm that shut down dealerships across the East Coast.

Over all, the industry reported selling about 1.15 million vehicles during the month, a decline of 0.3 percent from January 2015, according to the firm Autodata. That was better than analysts expected, particularly because January had two fewer selling days than last year because of a quirk in the calendar.

The major auto manufacturers reported mixed results as demand continued to tilt more toward sport utility vehicles and pickups and away from traditional passenger cars.

One of the poorest performers was the German automaker Volkswagen, which is mired in crisis for cheating on diesel emissions tests in the United States and elsewhere. The company reported a decline in sales of nearly 9 percent for its collection of brands, including VW, Audi, Bentley and Lamborghini.

Several of the major car companies on Tuesday reiterated earlier predictions that the industry was likely to exceed last year’s record annual sales of nearly 17.5 million. But analysts cautioned that the market was still vulnerable to a downturn.

“The month’s performance does not mean that 2016 is guaranteed to outdo the record sales of this past year,” said Jack Nerad, an analyst with the research firm Kelley Blue Book.

Mr. Nerad said stagnant wages in the United States and fluctuations in the stock market could have a negative impact on consumer demand. Other analysts said that any appreciable increase in gas prices could slow the pace of sales for sport utility vehicles.

According to Autodata, car sales fell 8.2 percent in January from the same period a year ago. By comparison, S.U.V. and truck sales grew 6.5 percent.

“Low gas prices are making larger vehicles more appealing, to the detriment of smaller cars,” said Jessica Caldwell, an analyst with the auto research website Edmunds.com.

The continued surge in sales of more expensive trucks and sport utility vehicles raised the average industrywide transaction price. Kelley Blue Book said the average price paid in January was $34,112, which was 2.8 percent higher than the year before.

The three big American automakers reported mixed results for the month.

General Motors, the largest domestic auto manufacturer, said it sold 203,000 vehicles during January, up 0.5 percent from the month in 2015.

The company said it reduced its sales of vehicles to rental companies, increased its retail business and kept inventories lower than in the past.

“We believe industry fundamentals such as the age of the vehicle fleet, well-managed inventory levels, firm used-car pricing, good credit availability and low fuel prices will support higher industry sales in 2016,” said G. Mustafa Mohatarem, G.M.’s chief economist.

G.M. got surprising help from its Buick brand, sales of which increased 45 percent because of strong demand for cars like the LaCrosse. The company also reported a 5 percent gain in sales of its Chevrolet Silverado pickup.

Ford Motor, the second-largest American automaker, reported sales of 173,000 vehicles in January, down 2.6 percent from the year before.

While sales of its passenger cars dropped almost 13 percent, Ford said its S.U.V. sales improved by 3 percent, to more than 50,000 vehicles. The company said its Lincoln luxury brand was also off to a good start for the year, with sales up 8.4 percent.

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, the smallest of the major domestic manufacturers, said it sold 155,000 vehicles during the month, up 6.9 percent from January 2015.

The company rode the strength of its Jeep S.U.V. brand to post what it said was its best January sales performance since 2007. While Fiat Chrysler’s passenger car sales dropped 24 percent, Jeep sales increased 15 percent.

The midmonth blizzard that blanketed several states may have contributed to sales of the rugged Jeep models.

“Mother Nature was no match for our Jeep brand,” said Reid Bigland, head of United States sales for Fiat Chrysler.

Of the foreign automakers, Honda said its January sales declined 1.7 percent to 100,000 vehicles. Toyota’s sales fell by 4.7 percent to 161,000 vehicles, and Nissan said its sales increased 1.6 percent to 105,000.

A version of this article appears in print on , Section B, Page 6 of the New York edition with the headline: Appetite for S.U.V.s Offers Upside in Slower Month for Auto Sales. Order Reprints | Today’s Paper | Subscribe